You place the candles in one direction, and you light them in the opposite direction: you set them up from right to left, but you light them from left to right each night of Hanukkah.

Basic rule in one line

  • Put the new candle in the next empty spot to the left each night (so the row grows right → left).
  • When lighting, always light the newest candle first , then move left to right along the row.

Step‑by‑step lighting order

  1. Place the candles:
    • Night 1: One candle on the far right.
 * Night 2+: Add that night’s new candle **to the left** of the existing ones, so over the eight nights you “fill in” from right to left.
  1. Light with the shamash:
    • Light the shamash (the raised or separate “helper” candle) first.
 * Use the shamash to light the others; do not use a Hanukkah candle to light another.
  1. Actual lighting direction:
    • Start with the newest (left‑most) candle for that night.
 * Then move back **toward the right** , lighting the remaining candles one by one.

Easy way to remember

  • “Add right to left, light left to right ” is the classic way people sum it up.
  • The newest night’s candle gets honor by being lit first, even though it’s on the left.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.